Why you should always use the latest version of WordPress?

A lot of WordPress users feel like they should not be updating to the latest version of WordPress. Most of them are too satisfied with their older version. Many also think it’s too much of a trouble. If you are one of such users then this article is for you. In this article, we will explain why you should always use the latest version of WordPress. We will also talk about the benefits can you derive if you remain updated to the latest version.

According to sucuri.net, “Out of the 11,000 + infected websites analyzed, 75% of them were on the WordPress platform and over 50% of those websites were out of date.” And as per the records of premium.wpmudev.org, “Hackers attack WordPress sites both big and small with over 90,978 attacks happening per minute.”

It is no mystery that the more dominance a CMS holds, the more vulnerable it will be to security risks. Okay, so yes, WordPress is more vulnerable due to its huge market. But we can’t blame the CMS alone for bringing upon security threats. We are equally responsible to make our website secure. WordPress has since always done their bit to improve the security of the websites hosted by them, and the core software of WordPress is extremely secure as it is. But we as website owners/administrators have to do our part too.

A WordPress website with an un-updated core software, themes, and plugins is a goldmine for hackers. Hackers will be very well aware of the security vulnerabilities in the older versions of your software. So for them hacking becomes relatively much easier if you are using an older version. But when you consistently update to the latest version of WordPress, you delay and reduce the chances of them figuring out the security loopholes in your website, and thereby delay the chances of using the loopholes against you.

2.Speed

If you keep updated to the latest version of WordPress your load time will consistently improve and down time will also be reduced. All in all, the performance of your website will improve greatly. And when the speed of your website is kept to an optimum state, your SEO will definitely serve you well.

3.Compatibility

Always keeping updated to the latest version of WordPress means you are making your core software perfectly compatible with all the themes and plugins provided by WordPress. Almost all theme and plugin developers coordinate with major WordPress releases to make sure they are taking advantages of all the new enhancements. When you choose not to update your WordPress, you are not just harming your core WordPress software but also making your themes and plugins less efficient.

4.Bug Fixes

If you are using an updated version of WordPress, then you are fighting all the bugs that been swept out clean, fixed and eliminated by WordPress developers. With each new update, WordPress fixes all the earlier bugs and errors.

WordPress also brings upon mini-releases apart from their primary release to fix all the bugs that were found out in the earlier version. When WordPress developers are always putting their heads together to wipe out all errors and doing rigorous work to improve working experience for your website, by not updating your WordPress you are only choosing to make this difficult for yourself.

5.Added Functionalities and Features

Every WordPress version does not just come up with fixed bugs, but also with tons of added functionalities and features that make your WordPress experience enhanced with each update. When you miss an update of WordPress or don’t feel like updating, you are missing out on so many added benefits that WordPress is offering you with.

For instances-

WordPress 4.3 came up with :

an option to manage navigation menu from theme customizer

allowed us to upload our site’s favicon or site icon from the WordPress admin area

introduced a new user interface for the password reset screen, etc.

WordPress 4.6 came up with:

improved auto save feature

standardized meta data registration

new WP_Post_Type Class

New WP_Term_Query Class and much more.

WordPress 4.7 added :

a video header support

improved theme and site setup flow

custom CSS directly from your theme customizer, and such.

Well, so why miss out on all the amazing new features that come up with each update by not updating your WordPress timely?

Wrapping Up,

Thank you for reading this article. We hope this was helpful to you all. Do you know more reasons why we should always use the latest version of WordPress? If you do please leave them in the comment section below. Also, if you have any suggestions or problems related to this article, please let us know via the comment section below.

At WPAll, our primary motive is to help you learn all about WordPress in the simplest and easiest way possible. That is why we design our tutorials in a way that the technicalities are not avoided, but yet the simplicity is maintained so that everyone can learn WordPress easily. If you like this article, please check like us on Facebook, Twitter and do subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Shraddha Shrestha is a content writer and video blogger at WPAll.Club. A WordPress enthusiast and blogger, she loves writing and speaking about WordPress. She is also a marketing and management enthusiast, alongside a huge bibliophile.

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